


Making Of "Road of Ruins"

by momotastic, whimsycatcher



Series: Road to Nowhere [5]
Category: Mad Max Series (Movies), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fanfiction, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-18 15:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11877741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momotastic/pseuds/momotastic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsycatcher/pseuds/whimsycatcher
Summary: Bonus material for the ACBB 2017 fic "Road of Ruins", story by momotastic, art by whimsycatcher.Includes complete thanks and notes from momotastic, and whimsy.A quick note about how best to view this story:It is highly recommended that you leave the Creator's Style turned ON if you're reading this story online.If you want to download this fic as pdf to read on your e-reader/tablet/just to store for safety: Hit me up and I'll happily compile you a pdf that preserves the formatting of this story as best as possible. I'm going to add PDFs for all my fics, bit by bit, but if this is one of the ones where I haven't got round to it yet, just sling me a comment or find me through mytumblr,LJorDW, and let me know what you need.





	1. Momo's Notes, Acknowledgements, Thank Yous

**Author's Note:**

> Momo used a lot of resources while writing this fic, and these are just a few of the things. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Complete notes, etc. for my 2017 ACBB fic "Road of Ruins".

I didn't want to clog up the main fic with a super long Author's Note at the beginning so allow me to put this in a separate story.

I wrote this tiny monster for ACBB 2017. I didn't think it would ever grow this big, but more plot kept happening, and then I ended up with 17 different POV characters, so...

Anyone who's seen the movie _Mad Max: Fury Road_ will likely recognise a lot of elements in this story. However, I did my best to make this AU different enough to intrigue and surprise even die-hard fans of the movie. That means: Don't think you know what's going to happen, because you might not.

This is the third movie fusion AU I've written in a year, and maybe I'll finally give it a rest now... ~~Just kidding. I still have about half a dozen left on my list.~~

This fic would not have been possible without the following people:

 **[Tari_Sue](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Tari_Sue/pseuds/Tari_Sue)** , my Brit-pick, punctuation guide, 1st draft beta, and sounding board - you have no idea how many times you saved me from just deleting the whole thing and writing something else.

 **[Christina](http://poisonyourbreath.tumblr.com/)** and **[sara_bocchan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSara/pseuds/sara_bocchan)** , the people who've sat down and read the entire monster to catch last mistakes, plot holes and inconsistencies.

And once more to **[sara_bocchan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSara/pseuds/sara_bocchan)** , as well as **[La_Temperanza](http://archiveofourown.org/users/La_Temperanza/pseuds/La_Temperanza)** for being amazing with work skins! The skin I used for this story was put together with css/html from both of these wonderful individuals. Any mistakes these people didn't catch, I added in after they looked at it.

And, finally, I must talk about how amazing my artist is.

 **[Whimsycatcher](http://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsycatcher/pseuds/whimsycatcher)** agreed to pre-match long before ACBB started, after I came to her with this idea of a Fury Road AU. She said yes right away, and I couldn't have asked for a better collab partner than her. Not only has she done a ton of amazing art for this story, she's also helped me figure out the title for this fic by sketching two different versions of the cover - one for each final contender. She's designed Uther's crest, and suggested a bunch of edits on how the characters could look/should dress. It's been an amazing experience for me to work with you, whimsy, and I hope that one day I'll write another project worthy of your talent. Check her out on [tumblr](http://whimsycatcher.tumblr.com), you won't regret it.


	2. Whimsycatcher's Notes, Acknowledgements, Thank Yous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Complete notes, etc. for my art for the 2017 ACBB fic "Road of Ruins" by momotastic.

It was beyond fantastic to work alongside Momotastic this year! I couldn’t help but want to prematch after hearing that her concept was inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road! Coincidentally, I had just purchased the concept art book for the film, so I was already inspired by the aesthetics of the setting and characters. Combine that with my Merlin obsession, and I was revving to go! I loved getting to read drafts throughout Momo’s bountiful progress, and I enjoyed the opportunity to provide some input for how the plot developed! I loved that, despite the obvious references to the film, she wrote something very unique to suit this fandom’s beloved characters… Well, early on, there was already so much material for me to get ideas from, and it was super hard to settle on just a few scenes to draw! I initially had a list of 30+ scenes, and it took some help from Momo to really cut that down, ahh… I decided on a style more realistic than I’ve done for previous Big Bangs, so I knew that would take me more time, but I still wanted to do so much! I’m pretty happy I managed 8 illustrated scenes, along with some additional graphics (divider, poster, album) though stay tuned for a couple more scenes that I had sketched out but have to save for later! All my pieces were challenging in their own ways, but I had so much fun with the gritty textures, various palettes… and skin and scruff, galore! ;) I hope everyone enjoys looking at my art as they go through this epic fic!

And as always, many MANY thanks to the mods who keep our fandom alive by running this fest so wonderfully!


	3. Timeline Table

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used this while planning and writing this story. The dates are purely fictional, but the setting relatively close to our time is deliberate.
> 
> For anyone not into spreadsheets, check out chapter two for a more linear overview.
> 
> The work skin to make these tables look shiny was provided by [sara_bocchan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSara/pseuds/sara_bocchan). Thank you for your ~~skin sorcery~~ css magic!
> 
> This overview references events from the story Road of Ruins, and things that happened previously. As such, instances of child abuse (sexual, emotional), and violence are referenced, but not graphically described.

**Year** | **Uther** | **Arthur** | **Merlin**  
---|---|---|---  
**2015** |  Ygraine dies | Born | 4 years old  
**2016** |  Great Purge | 1 year old | 5 years old, magic goes dormant  
**2032** |  Disowns Arthur | 17 years old, disowned, flogged, loses arm | 21 years old  
**2034** |  n/a | 19 years old | 23 years old, captured by Devils  
**2036** |  n/a | 21 years old, hears about prophecy/Emrys | 25 years old, blood donor at citadel  
**2037** |  Pursues Arthur+wives | 22 years old, flees Camelot with wives, searches Emrys | 26 years old, blood donor at citadel, flees & joins Arthur  
**2038** |  Dead | 23 years old, leader of Albion | 27 years old, returns magic to world  
  
**Year** | **Vivian** | **Elena** | **Gwen** | **Sophia** | **Freya**  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
**2031** |  13 years old, claimed by Uther | 11 years old | 12 years old, father surrenders to Devils | 10 years old | 9 years old  
**2032** |  14 years old, watches Arthur's disinheritance | 12 years old | 13 years old | 11 years old | 10 years old, parents murdered, enslaved, abused  
**2034** |  16 years old | 14 years old, claimed by Uther | 15 years old | 13 years old | 12 years old, virginity sold to highest bidder  
**2035** |  17 years old | 15 years old | 16 years old, mother murdered, captured by Devils | 14 years old | 13 years old  
**2036** |  18 years old | 16 years old | 17 years old | 15 years old, sold to Uther | 14 years old  
**2037** |  19 years old, pregnant, flees | 17 years old, flees Camelot, dies | 18 years old, flees Camelot, kills Uther | 16 years old, pregnant, flees | 15 years old, arrives at & flees Camelot  
**2038** |  20 years old, Mayor of Manchester | Dead | 19 years old, Arthur's right hand, relationship with Percy | 17 years old, lives on Skye with Freya | 16 years old, lives on Skye with Sophia  
  
**Year** | **Elyan** | **Gwaine** | **Lancelot** | **Leon** | **Percy** | **Will**  
---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
**2016** |  n/a | 14 years old | 12 years old | 14 years old | n/a | 5 years old, mother dies  
**2023** |  4 years old | 21 years old | 19 years old | 21 years old, captured by Devils | 6 years old | 12 years old  
**2024** |  5 years old | 22 years old | 20 years old, village killed, captured by Devils | 22 years old | 7 years old | 13 years old  
**2025** |  6 years old | 23 years old, captured by Devils, meets Leon | 21 years old | 23 yeard old, meets Gwaine | 8 years old | 14 years old, father dies  
**2026** |  7 years old | 24 years old, meets Lance | 22 years old, transferred to new squad | 24 years old, meets Lance | 9 years old | 15 years old  
**2031** |  12 years old, father surrenders to Devils | 29 years old | 27 years old | 29 years old | 14 years old | 20 years old, captured by Devils  
**2034** |  15 years old | 32 years old, cuts up his face | 30 years old | 33 years old, loses an eye | 17 years old, becomes Uther's guard | 23 years old  
**2035** |  16 years old, mother murdered, captured by Devils | 33 years old | 31 years old | 33 years old, meets Elyan | 18 years old | 24 years old  
**2036** |  17 years old, looks for father | 34 years old | 32 years old | 34 years old | 19 years old | 25 years old  
**2037** |  18 years old, pursues Arthur | 35 years old, flees Camelot | 33 years old, flees Camelot | 35 years old, discovers his magic | 20 years old, helps kill Uther | 26 years old, pursues Arthur  
**2038** |  19 years old, becomes Tom's apprentice | 36 years old, law enforcement | 34 years old, law enforcement | 36 years old, law enforcement | 21 years old, farmer, relationship with Gwen | Dead  
  
**Year** | **Morgana** | **Morgause** | **Mordred**  
---|---|---|---  
**2026** |  7 years old | 12 years old, apprenticeship | 3 years old, abandoned on bridge to Skye  
**2032** |  13 years old | 18 years old, anointed priestess | 9 years old  
**2035** |  16 years old | 21 years old, High Priestess | 12 years old  
**2037** |  18 years old, _Sees_ Emrys  & Warrior, kills the Sarrum | 23 years old, welcomes Emrys & Warrior | 14 years old, guids Emrys & Warrior to Druid Camp  
**2038** |  19 years old, Dragonlady | 24 years old, trains Mordred | 15 years old, apprenticeship


	4. Linear Timeline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone not into spreadsheets, here's a simple overview of what happens to whom when.
> 
> This overview references events from the story Road of Ruins, and things that happened previously. As such, instances of child abuse (sexual, emotional), and violence are referenced, but not graphically described.

**2015:** Arthur is born ; Ygraine dies

 **2016:** Great Purge ; Merlin's magic goes dormant ; Will's mother dies

 **2023:** Leon is captured by Devils ; Mordred is born

 **2024:** Lance's entire village is killed, he's captured by Devils

 **2025:** Merlin's parents die, he's 14 years old ; Gwaine is captured by Devils, he meets Leon ; Will's father dies

 **2026:** Gwaine and Leon meet Lance ; Lance is transferred to another squad where he meets Gwaine and Leon ; Mordred is three years old, and left on the bridge to Skye because his parents are afraid of his magic ; Morgause begins her apprenticeship to become a priestess of the Old Religion

 **2031:** Gwen and Elyan's father surrenders to the Devils to protect his family ; Vivian is claimed by Uther as a prize after he defeats her father, she's 13 years old ; Will is captured by the Devils

 **2032:** Arthur refuses to rape Mithian and is publicly disowned, flogged, and loses his right arm ; Gwaine, Lance, Leon, Percy, and Vivian all witness this ; Arthur is 17 years old ; Freya's parents are killed and she is sexually abused for the first time, she's ten years old ; Morgause is an anointed priestess of the Old Religion

 **2034:** Merlin is captured by Devils ; Percy becomes Uther's bodyguard ; Leon loses an eye ; Gwaine cuts up his own face ; Elena is claimed by Uther as a prize after he defeats her father, she's 17 years old ; Freya's virginity is sold to the highest bidder, she's twelve years old

 **2035:** Gwen and Elyan's mother is killed and violated, both of them are taken to Camelot, they're 17 years old ; Leon meets Elyan at the citadel ; Morgause becomes High Priestess of the Old Religion

 **2036:** Arthur is told about the prophecy ; Elyan looks for his father at the citadel ; Sophia has been sold to Uther, she's 15 years old

 **2037:** Freya was sold to Uther, she's 15 years old ; the events of "Road of Ruins" take place

 **2038:** Arthur assumes leadership of Albion ; Merlin returns magic to the world with Arthur's help ; Gwen becomes Arthur's right hand (metaphorically...) ; Elyan becomes their father's apprentice ; Vivian becomes mayor of Manchester, she named her baby Alice after the old woman who was their mentor and protector at the citadel ; Sophia gives away her baby to the Sidhe ; Freya stays on Skye with Sophia in a little cottage ; Gwaine, Lancelot, and Leon start a new law enforcement similar to a police force ; Morgana becomes Dragonlady ; Mordred enters into an apprenticeship to become a Priest of the Old Religion ; Morgause teaches him.


	5. Map - Interactive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A map of Albion (aka the UK) with the route Arthur, Merlin, and the wives took.
> 
> * * *
> 
> A non-interactive look at the map can be found in the next chapter.


	6. Map - Images

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A look at the most prominent locations in the story.
> 
> * * *
> 
> For an interactive map, check the previous chapter.


	7. Runes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An overview of the runes that Merlin drew on Arthur, and vice versa. Momo made these in photoshop, so you guys should NOT blame whimsy for the less than excellent look.

**Name:** | 

Calc

| 

Ear

| 

Éphel

| 

Feoh

| 

Gyfu  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
**Image:** | 

| 

| 

| 

|   
  
**Meaning:** | 

Chalice

| 

Earth

| 

(Home)land

| 

Wealth

| 

Gift  
  
**Placement:** | 

Left thigh, back

| 

Left arm

| 

Right arm

| 

Stomach

| 

Left thigh, front  
  
**Name:** | 

Nyd

| 

Ós

| 

Sigel

| 

Wynn

|   
**Image:** | 

| 

| 

| 

|   
**Meaning:** | 

Need

| 

God/Mouth

| 

Sun

| 

Joy

|   
**Placement:** | 

Right thigh, back

| 

Above heart

| 

Back

| 

Right thigh, front

| 


End file.
